Europe

Belgrade (Special to Informed Comment) – When the George W. Bush administration launched the invasion of Iraq in 2003, many believed the campaign’s main goal was to gain control of the country’s oil. Almost two decades later, most U.S. oil corporations have exited Iraq and the last major, ExxonMobil, appears to be on the way […]

European Union

The Int’l Community at Berlin II wants Oil and a Stop to Emigration from Libya; What Libya needs is Strong Institutions and Peace

John Hickman

Mt. Berry, Ga. (Special to Informed Comment) – A lazy international press corps is missing the big story on Libya. English language news coverage of the June 23rd Berlin II International Conference on Libya has been focused almost exclusively on the presence of foreign mercenaries while eliding information crucial to understanding the negotiations and the […]

Climate Crisis

German Transport Ministry advised that Electric Cars must Dominate new Sales by 2025, eyeing 1 Mn. EVs on Road this Year

Clean Energy Wire

By Edgar Meza | – Handelsblatt ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Electric cars will need to account for most new registrations in Germany in just four years and the end of new combustion engine cars will have to begin in 2030, says a report by the National Platform Future of Mobility (NPM) for the […]

China

Is Putin’s Positive View of the Biden Summit a sign he is Souring on his China Alliance?

Nikola Mikovic

Belgrade (Special to Informed Comment) – The results of the historic summit between the US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, held in Switzerland on June 16, will be felt for some time. Officially, the two leaders discussed Syria, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, Ukraine, hacking and “strategic stability”, but what they agreed during […]

Joe Biden

Could Putin woo Turkey from Biden and NATO?

Nikola Mikovic

Belgrade (Special to Informed Comment) – The Turks seem to be weary of the alliance with the United States. Although it is still a NATO member, and has the second largest army in the organization, Turkey is strengthening military, political and economic ties with the US “major geopolitical rival” – Russia. According to a recent […]

Climate Crisis

German climate activists prepare wave of court cases in wake of Dutch Court ruling that Big Oil must slash Emissions

Clean Energy Wire

By Edgar Meza | – Die Welt ( Clean Energy Wire ) – German climate protection NGOs are gearing up for full-scale legal attack on what they describe as climate offenders in the wake of a court ruling in the Netherlands last month ordering Royal Dutch Shell to make greater reductions in its CO2 emissions, […]

Climate Crisis

With undersea Nordlink, Norway and Germany act as Huge Renewable Batteries for Each other, Sharing Hydro and Wind

Clean Energy Wire

By Kerstine Appunn | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Germany is taking another step towards achieving a fully renewable power system by completing the first electric cable connection with Norway, heads of government and ministers from both states have said at the official launch event of NordLink. The green transformation cannot be achieved […]

Featured

Irish Parliament first in EU to Condemn Creeping Israeli “Annexation” of Palestinian West Bank

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Kerry O’Shea at the Irish Examiner reports that the Irish Dail (parliament) on Wednesday night passed a resolution accusing Israel of having committed the crime of “annexing” the Palestinian territories. Ireland is the first European Union state to make such a declaration. The motion also condemned Hamas for indiscriminately firing […]

Featured

Irish Parties and People demand Expulsion of Israeli ambassador, Fines for importing Settler-made Goods

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The recent Israeli assault on the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the bombardment of Gaza, has stirred passions in the Irish Republic, where public opinion has swung around to be strongly in favor of Palestinian rights and critical of the Apartheid, Occupation government of Israel. Rallies have […]